CSUDH News

The primary source of news and information about California State University, Dominguez Hills, its students, faculty, and staff.

Art and Design

CSU Dominguez Hills to Unveil 8’x32’ Multicultural Mural

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As part of the 50th anniversary of California State University, Dominguez Hills, the university’s Multicultural Center (MCC) will unveil “Manifest Diversity,” a large-scale multimedia mural created by students under the guidance of award-winning and nationally recognized Los Angeles muralist Eliseo Art Silva on Sept. 9. The mural was created to celebrate the diversity of CSU Dominguez Hills and its surrounding areas, as well as historical social accomplishments that have contributed to a more inclusive and multicultural America.

Family and friends of mural honorees such as the late United Farm Workers of America labor leader Larry Itliong, along with local officials, students, and university faculty and staff will be present at the unveiling event and reception, which will take place on the East Walkway outside the Loker Student Union. Alumna Karen Bass (Class of ’90, B.S., health science), Speaker Emeritus for the California Assembly and Congressional candidate will also be in attendance.

“The purpose and history of murals have strong links to spaces like the Multicultural Center,” said Center coordinator Lui Amador. “Both give voice and honor to traditionally marginalized communities. Both have made statements that celebrate the rich and complex histories of diversity in America.”

The Multicultural Center in partnership with the Department of Chicana/o Studies conducted a special multicultural history/mural-making class in Fall 2009 for the purposes of creating the mural. Using Howard Zinn’s books including, “A People’s History of the United States” and lessons given by Silva on the history of murals and the power of art as a voice for people, students in the class were tasked with conceptualizing the theme of the mural and the scenes and figures from American history that would be depicted on it.

Manifest Diversity Mural
Manifest Diversity Mural

The final design of the mural features approximately 95 images of individuals and iconic scenes in American history, from Pre-Columbian Native Americans to the present day struggle for social justice in health care, and immigrant rights. When viewed from a distance, the shapes, details and colors of the singular images combine to form to form the profiles of Sojourner Truth, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Cesar Chavez, President Barack Obama, Mahatma Mohandas Gandhi, and Jose Rizal.

Marco Cabrera, a senior majoring in studio art, says that the experience surprised him with diverse histories that he had never been exposed to.

“Learning things I’ve never learned in any history class was shocking,” he says.

Lydia (at left) and Hilda Aguilera are proud of their work on "Manifest Diversity" - and that they and their sisters are portrayed in it.
Lydia (at left) and Hilda Aguilera are proud of their work on “Manifest Diversity” – and that they and their sisters are portrayed in it.

One surprising discovery for Lydia Aguilera, junior, health science, was the story of the Manuel Dominguez family, after whom CSU Dominguez Hills is named. The Californio rancher and statesman settled the Rancho San Pedro, a 75,000 acre land grant that eventually became the cities of the South Bay. She was also intrigued by accounts of how Mexican and Filipino farm workers joined forces to form the United Farm Workers under the leadership of Cesar Chavez.

The mural has become a family affair for Aguilera and her three sisters, who have all attended CSU Dominguez Hills and are depicted in the work as students reenacting the Little Rock Nine.

“It’s kind of exciting, not only because we are in it but because we contributed to [painting] it,” says Aguilera, who with her sister Hilda, a sophomore majoring in health science, participated in the class last fall. Also featured in the mural are Ruth Aguilera, sophomore, undeclared, and Yadira Aguilera (Class of ’04, B.A., liberal studies), who is now a teacher at Clinton Elementary School in Compton.

The students all collaborated on which historical figures would be featured on the mural. Hilda Aguilera chose Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latina and third female Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Her sister Lydia thought that the mural should include Mother Teresa, the Black Panthers, and the Brown Berets. Cabrera, who is also depicted in the mural, is shown leading CSU Dominguez Hills students and faculty, including Dr. Irene Vasquez, chair and professor of Chicana/o studies and Randy Zarn, former associate vice president of Student Life, as the Little Rock Nine.

“As a student, I was thinking about how I would feel going to a school where nobody wanted me there and how I would approach the situation,” he says.

Lui Amador, coordinator of the Multicultural Center, says that the mural is "a living thing" for students to teach others about the diverse cultures that make up America; photo by Joanie Harmon
Lui Amador, coordinator of the Multicultural Center, says that the mural is “a living thing” for students to teach others about the diverse cultures that make up America; photo by Joanie Harmon

Painting of the 8’ x 32’ mural took much of the spring semester and summer. In addition to those in the class, alumni, faculty and staff, students from the Multicultural Center’s Diversity in Action internship program, middle and high school youth in the Zimmer Museum’s YouTHink program, and patrons at the South Bay Pavilion mall in Carson participated in the mural’s painting, making the project a true community effort.

Amador says that one of the greatest benefits of “Manifest Diversity” is that “it’s not going to be a done deal when we present it.”

“One of the major powers of a community mural is that it’s a living thing,” he says. “It’s a great way to empower students to share this information.”

The unveiling will take place at 3 p.m. and is open to the public. For more information, contact (310) 243-2519.

Synthia SAINT JAMES: Renowned Artist Unveils First in Series of 50th Anniversary Commemorative Paintings by Local Artists

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Every year, the Annual Fall Reception at California State University, Dominguez Hills welcomes faculty and staff to the new academic year. On August 23, this year’s celebration was especially memorable with the unveiling of a commemorative painting and poster by renowned artist Synthia SAINT JAMES. “Cincuenta” (Fifty) is the first in a series that will be created by locally based artists to celebrate the 50th anniversary of CSU Dominguez Hills.

Artist Synthia SAINT JAMES and Toby Bushee, manager, Ceremonies and Events, unveil "Cincuenta," which commemorates CSU Dominguez Hills' 50th anniversary
Artist Synthia SAINT JAMES and Toby Bushee, manager, Ceremonies and Events, unveil “Cincuenta,” which commemorates CSU Dominguez Hills’ 50th anniversary; photo by Joanie Harmon

“What I really want is for everyone who is a part of this school – faculty, staff, anyone who is an alumni – to have something to feel proud of in celebration of the 50th anniversary,” said SAINT JAMES at the unveiling in the ballroom of the Loker Student Union.

SAINT JAMES, who imbues her representational works with the deeper meanings of her subjects, did extensive research on the history of CSU Dominguez Hills, from the South Bay’s origins as the Rancho San Pedro owned by the Manuel Dominguez family to the university’s humble beginnings as California State College, Dominguez Hills, whose first graduating class was made up of four students. She also worked to represent the diversity in age, ethnicity and background of the student population.

“President García wanted me to delve into the history [of the university] but to make it current and make it about Dominguez Hills, not just any college,” said SAINT JAMES. “[The figures] typify all of the different races and nationalities. So all around, this is everybody coming together.”

The artist visited CSU Dominguez Hills in 2009 at the invitation of Gayle Ball Parker, director of University Outreach and Information Services. SAINT JAMES presented a talk to local high school students about careers in the arts and the university, co-sponsored by the University Library. President Mildred García met with the artist and invited her to create the first work for the commemorative art series.

“I just told her about Dominguez Hills, and she said yes,” said García. “She’s excited about Dominguez Hills, she loves what we do.”

Ball Parker underscored the value of students meeting a professional artist and learning about a profession that requires more than picking up a paintbrush.

“When she talks about all of the research she does for her paintings – it’s not like she just gets up and paints, there’s a lot that goes in there – students get to understand the importance of doing research,” said Ball Parker.

A copy of the 50th anniversary commemorative painting will be displayed at the CSU Office of the Chancellor alongside artwork commemorating other campuses’ anniversaries.

“Cincuenta” is one of four artworks that will be unveiled this year as part of the 50th anniversary celebration. Los Angeles-based Hispanic artist Aydee Lopez Martinez, plein air landscape and neoclassical artist Alexey Steele, and Japanese American artist Mary Higuchi are creating the other three works, which will be will be presented throughout the 2010-11 academic year.

SAINT JAMES has also donated an original painting of one of her children’s book illustrations to the University Library.

SAINT JAMES is an international award-winning painter, illustrator, and architectural designer. Significant works include her design of first U.S. postage stamp for the Kwanzaa holiday. Her paintings have been featured on the covers of books by best-selling authors, including Alice Walker and Terry McMillan. The Los Angeles native and self-taught artist has also designed ceramic tile murals for Cowan Elementary School in Austin, Texas, and for Ontario International Airport in Ontario, Calif., elevator doors for a building in California’s State Capitol East End complex, and an original painting for Glendale Memorial Hospital in Glendale, Calif.

For more information about Synthia SAINT JAMES, click here.

For more information about the 50th Anniversary celebration at CSU Dominguez Hills, click here.

Video Game Camp Introduces Youth to Animation Skills

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Many parents think their children spend too much time playing video games, but a few have decided to help their offspring gain something constructive from their pastime. Students from local elementary and high schools enrolled this summer in the College of Extended and International Education’s (CEIE) Video Game Art and Design, Cartoons in Motion, and Advanced Video Game Design summer camps, and as a result, many of them have decided to pursue a career in designing video games.

Miranda Taylor, an 11th grader at Windward School in Mar Vista, Calif. and Jessica Taylor, a 10th grader at Rolling Hills Preparatory School, learn how to use Flash animation to design a video game.
Miranda Taylor, an 11th grader at Windward School in Mar Vista, Calif. and Jessica Taylor, a 10th grader at Rolling Hills Preparatory School, learn how to use Flash animation to design a video game.

Devin Aikens will enter the 10th grade at Fernando Pullum Performing Arts High School, Los Angeles this fall. He says that his mother enrolled him the in the four-day Video Game Art and Design program last month to get him to do something besides spending entire days playing with games on his Xbox.

“She [said], ‘Since you like video games, I’m going to enroll you in this camp,’” says Aikens. “I read the rubric on drawing cartoons and making video games and said, ‘That sounds like a lot of fun.’”

All of the students may have had extensive video game playing experience, but none had any previous design experience. And although they were challenged by the accelerated pace of the course and the intricacies of learning Flash animation, they all said they picked up the needed skills quickly.

Alicia Tran, an eighth grader at Bert M. Lynn Middle School in Torrance, is a fan of highly artistic game graphics such as Metroid Prime and Assassins Creed. She says the experience “gave me a better sense of what kind of art, scenes and catch phrases are needed in the video game world. Also, it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to finish [a project].”

Instructor Robert Dillworth is a graphic artist whose main clients are in the entertainment industry who employ his talents for production graphics, CD covers, and movie posters. He also teaches throughout the country for WE Education, which CEIE contracted to present the summer video game programs at CSU Dominguez Hills.

Dillworth says that although he loves to teach design to students of all ages, teaching the youth has its unique rewards, especially as they are more acclimated to working on computers.

“And they’re far more creative—and more disturbed —than most adults,” he laughs.

Dillworth says that at least three or four out of the dozen students in his class “have real potential.” Although he did not have access to this kind of design training as a young person, he says that when he began his own training he “fell in love with the process” and decided he also wanted to teach graphic design himself.

“I wanted to evangelize,” he recalls. “I wanted to make everyone aware of how wonderful [design] is. [WE Education] gave me the opportunity to share the knowledge with adults and children, so I jumped on it.”

Students who completed the Video Game Art and Design class in June came away with a finished animation short on disc and a Photoshop file of a video game box cover. Those who chose to take the advanced four-day course, which ends today (August 5), will have completed an actual video game, burned onto a CD, with a cover and label of their own design.

Josh Payne of View Park Preparatory School, learns to create his own video games
Josh Payne of View Park Preparatory School, learns to create his own video games; photo by Joanie Harmon

Many of the students will also walk out of video game summer camp with a career goal. Josh Payne, who is going into the eighth grade at Viewpark Preparatory Middle School in Los Angeles, always wondered how his favorite games were created. He says that he did not think that the programs used for creating video games would be so complicated, but that he was able to manipulate them easily after four days and that the best way to deal with the challenge of learning new software was “to have an open mind and open imagination and listen” to Dillworth’s instruction. But his long term goals go beyond being simply an avid player of video games.

“When I grow up I want to make video games that kids like me will enjoy,” Payne says.

For more information on programs at CEIE, click here.

Music Department Earns Full Term of Accreditation from NASM

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The music department at California State University, Dominguez Hills has recently been given another full ten-year accreditation by the National Association of Music Schools (NASM). Richard Kravchak, professor of music and the department’s chair, says that CSU Dominguez Hills is one of only nine music departments in all of California to hold accreditation from both NASM and the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, an achievement he is proud of in the face of the state’s budget reductions in higher education and that he credits “the degree of personal involvement of all of our faculty in the education of every music student.”

“All of our music professors are practicing creative musicians at the highest level as well as being pedagogues,” says Kravchak. “They all can ‘walk the walk,’ and this gives their pedagogy relevance and credibility with our students.”

Kravchak says that accreditation requires departments to employ highly qualified faculty, design a course of study that features the most current best practices, and show that students can demonstrate appropriate learning outcomes. He says that he and his colleagues make every effort to maintain their international standing as musicians and composers while using these experiences to enhance their teaching in the classroom.

“While it may sound simple, it seems to be the exception rather then the rule that music units are able to accomplish all of this,” he says. “Despite our small size, over the last few years, our faculty has presented performances throughout Latin America, Europe, Asia, as well as major performance venues in the U.S. We combine this with our love and ability to teach. I truly believe that there is no better small music department in the United States.”

Kravchak’s CD “California Oboe” is now available at arkivmusic.com and on itunes. It includes compositions by past and present CSU Dominguez Hills faculty including Jonathan Grasse, Marshall Bialosky, and the late Rod Butler.

For more information on the music department at CSU Dominguez Hills, click here.